Burning Crosses
by Tomy
Summary: After a number of unexplained events, Buffy gains a new ally and realises just how far some people will go for their beliefs. BA!
1. Default Chapter

Author: Tomy  
  
Title: Burning Crosses  
  
Rating: PG 13  
  
Disclaimer: The usual - Joss Whedon owns 'em, I'm borrowing 'em. He makes the big bucks, I get a little fun.  
  
Spoilers: Takes place during BtVs4/AtS1  
  
Archive: Anywhere, just let me know.  
  
Feedback: brdf@sympatico.ca  
  
Website: www.knightfic.8m.net  
  
Summary: After a number of unexplained events, Buffy gains a new ally and realises just how far some people will go for their beliefs.  
  
Author's Notes: This will eventually become a crossover.  
  
Since the beginning of time  
  
Since it started to rain  
  
Since I heard you laugh  
  
Since I felt your pain  
  
I was too young, you were much younger  
  
We were afraid of each other's hunger  
  
~I Have Always Loved You - Enrique Iglesias  
  
Burning Crosses  
  
by Tomy  
  
He was cold, shivering. The smell of rotting flesh and plant life assaulted him. The air was heavy, moist; the water up to his knees hindered any movement. Fear warred with stubborn determination. The rocky walls were slimy under his palm as he struggled forward through the darkness and cold water.  
  
Angel bolted upright. Finding himself in his own bed in L.A., he reached for the phone. "What happened?" he pressed, not waiting for the person on the other end to speak after the line was answered.  
  
*  
  
It had happened so fast. The cliche's weren't kidding. One moment she was walking, the next she was being dropped. The cold water soaked her after they unceremoniously dumped her into the tunnel. She stood, coughing, as they replaced the cover, surrounding her in darkness. She waited for her eyes to adjust, yelling up at them. Upset that she didn't even have the satisfaction of seeing them sneer. She waited, and waited, her headache building with the panic as her eyesight refused to clear. Reaching out, she felt for the wall, tripping on a ledge under the water, her face scraping along the rocky wall as she tried to stop her fall. On her knees in the filth, her face stinging, her head threatening to burst and surrounded by darkness, she tried to remain calm, to think, to find a way out. Standing again, making sure of her footing, she kept her right hand on the slippery wall, the other out in front of her as she slowly began walking.  
  
She lost track of time, with no light to gauge, she just kept moving. Her clothes clung to her, the air too damp to allow them to dry completely. Her energy began to wane, there was nothing to eat or drink, and she dare not drink the water she was now standing thigh deep in. It felt like the water was growing deeper, the current pulling at her legs, threatening to sweep them out from under her. Shivering didn't help matters. She had never felt such cold water, or such dampness that chilled to the bone. Her jeans began to feel impossibly heavy, her tank top provided no protection against the elements she was exposed to.  
  
Continuing to walk, diverting her mind to what had happened helped to keep her going. She had been patrolling, it wasn't even that late, maybe ten, when she passed one of the many outlying graveyards. This one tended to be quiet. Maybe that was why she hadn't heard them approach, her mind on an essay due in a few days. Next thing she knew she was lying on the ground as the strangers, clad head to toe in black(how original she remembered thinking), moved the manhole cover. They appeared to be human, they struggled with her as she fought. But they had the upper hand. Numbers and her slow return to consciousness.  
  
The water level slowly decreased, giving her abused and strained muscles a break. Feeling the water at the lowest level(just over her sneakers), she placed her back against the wall and sank to the ground, desperately needing a break.  
  
She couldn't remain still for too long. Even with only a few seconds of sitting, she felt herself stiffening up, the cold seeping deeper into her bones.  
  
Placing her forehead against her knees, she closed her eyes - not that it made any difference - but the break of trying to see through the solid darkness had only exasperated the headache.  
  
Sloshing sounds jerked her immediately awake. Her heart pounding, she scrambled up the wall behind her. Desperately trying to look around, her brain threatened to panic as she realized her situation hadn't changed. Other than she was no longer alone. And she had no idea what was with her. But it was getting closer. Her gut clenched, the familiar feeling of a vampire sweeping her senses. She instinctively reached behind her, into her waistband, disappointment flooding when she discovered her stake missing. Keeping her hands against the wall, she began to move, hoping to find some light, something to give her an advantage. She stumbled again on something under the water, landing with a loud splash and cracking her knees on the pavement. Scrambling to her feet, she slipped, her sneakers losing their purchase on the ground beneath her.  
  
A hand touched her shoulder and the slim control slipped away. Blind panic kicked in with her instincts. Lashing out she caught it with her arm. Hearing a splash behind her, she scrambled up again, trying to put some distance between herself and her attacker.  
  
The hand grabbed her shoulder again. She whirled, losing her footing. Strong hands caught her, held her.  
  
"Buffy!" The hands held her tight. "Buffy stop, it's alright."  
  
The voice, so familiar, finally broke through the haze of panic. "Angel?" she stopped, panting, her heart hammering in her chest.  
  
"Yeah," his enhanced eyesight allowing him to just make out her features in the tunnel. He had never seen her panic before. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I can't see." her voice held the note of desperate fear.  
  
"I can." His words seemed to calm her even more.  
  
"How did you..?" her hands gripped his forearms, afraid he'd disappear if she let go. That this was a dream her mind conjured up trying to escape the stress.  
  
"Later. Let's get out of here first." She nodded, then thought again and verbalized her assent. "Put your arms around my neck." He leaned in close, feeling just how cold her body was. Her hands moved slowly up his arms to his shoulders before clasping behind his neck. He had to work to prevent himself from reacting to her touch, her caress. Once he was sure she was secure, he easily lifted her into his arms, holding her tightly, wishing once again that he had some warmth to offer her.  
  
Looking around he spotted the outline of a ladder not ten feet in front of him on the other side of the tunnel. Moving slowly through the water, trying to keep his mind focused on his footing and not the woman in his arms, he slowly made his way towards the exit.  
  
"I need one arm to climb out. You okay to hang on?" He whispered, afraid to wake up from this sweet torture. She nodded against his shoulder, her hands seeking greater purchase against his shoulders and neck as he began his assent. It wasn't far to reach the surface. Grabbing the ladder with the hand that supported her knees, he balanced himself enough to lift the manhole cover and slide it aside.  
  
Immediately Buffy tensed, burying her face in the crook of his neck; her eyes screaming against the sudden intrusion of light.  
  
"Buffy?" He had frozen as soon as she stiffened.  
  
"The lights hurt my eyes."  
  
He relaxed marginally. She'd been in complete darkness for enough time for the glare of the street lamps to cause her eyes to become extremely sensitive to light. "You'll be okay when your eyes readjust. I'm going to take you to Giles'."  
  
Buffy nodded, feeling the last of the fear draining from her body. The security of being in Angel's arms as he carried her with ease - there was no feeling like it. This was borrowed time with him, and she was well aware of it. Sagging against him, she let her exhaustion overwhelm her for the walk to Giles'. 


	2. Chapter 2

Using the toe of his boot, he kicked at Giles' door in a demanding parody of knocking. Buffy had begun shivering in his arms shortly after they'd left the tunnel. She'd also kept her head buried in his shoulder. Any attempt to open her eyes obviously caused her a great deal of pain. She had remained quiet throughout the walk, clinging to him tightly, yet somehow remaining relaxed against him.   
  
Giles opened the door, the lights causing Buffy to bury her face further into his jacket.   
  
Angel immediately strode towards the bathroom. "I need a few candles. She was underground, completely without light. Any light at the moment is too much." Giles was already rushing about switching off the bright lights, gathering candles and lighting them around the bathroom.  
  
Buffy heard the door close as Angel placed her on the side of the tub. Slowly she opened her eyes, relived that the candlelight didn't overly affect her already pounding headache.   
  
  
  
Angel couldn't prevent the smile as she looked at him. "Do you have a change of clothes here?"   
  
Snorting, she arranged herself more comfortably on the side of the tub as Angel turned on the water. "I had, in my backpack, which they grabbed from me."  
  
"I take that as a 'no'." Buffy shook her head. "Okay, you wash and warm up, and I'll take a trip over to your mother's. She needs to know you're safe."  
  
"Angel," she called softly as he reached for the door handle. "How did you know?"   
  
"I had a dream of you walking through deep water, unable to see." He shrugged, trying to dissipate the feeling remembering conjured inside of him. "When I woke up, I called Giles, he said you were missing, and I knew."  
  
Nodding once, Buffy turned her attention back to adjusting the water temp. "Thank you," she whispered as he gently closed the door.  
  
*  
  
The drive to Joyce's was quick, dealing with a distraught mother was a bit more difficult. Though she was grateful to know her daughter was safe, unharmed and at Giles'.   
  
Yet, as he accepted the bag of clothing from the woman, he knew, as he always did, that he wasn't accepted. That she expected him to leave as soon as possible, to leave Sunnydale and her daughter again.   
  
  
  
Rage coursed though him as he left the house. It was unreasonable, he knew, yet he couldn't stop it. *He* had saved Buffy - again. They had no idea where to start looking - he knew without a doubt. Whether it was the bond, which he still didn't completely understand, or if it was intervention from the Powers That Be, he really didn't give a damn. She had relaxed, recognising him despite her panic. She had relaxed in his arms, fully trusting - even after everything he had put her through.   
  
He had to calm himself. Buffy would know if he was agitated, and not let up until she knew why. Oh yes, their bond, the spark that had been there throughout their relationship was as strong as ever, making it difficult to be near her. She wasn't safe yet. Of that he was certain. Who ever, or what ever had grabbed her was still out there, and she needed protection from it. He decided then that he would remain in Sunnydale until this mystery was solved.  
  
*  
  
Buffy sat wrapped in one of Giles' old robes sipping tea. The aspirin had dulled her headache. The bath had felt wonderful, scrubbing off the filth and letting the heat of the water warm and relax her. Something she needed after spending any amount of time tucked in Angel's arms. It was foolish, she knew, but she couldn't stop herself. She never had been able to control herself when it came to Angel. Xander and Willow had arrived sometime during her bath. Only the desk lamp was on, set to it's lowest setting; the rest of the apartment flickered with the glow of candles. The mind-numbing terror from earlier had been too easily replaced by the comfort of Angel. She could feel him close, knowing he was about to knock before he reached the door.   
  
Giles walked to the door, opening it slowly before quipping to Xander and Willow, "See, it is possible to knock."   
  
  
  
Buffy hid her smile as Angel handed the bag to her. He was avoiding her eyes, barely looking at her at all actually. A spark of hope ignited inside her. 


End file.
